Page 55 of June

“What did she say?”

“She told me to keep being honest with her about it,” Caroline replied. “We just met. I can’t tell her to stop seeing someone else.”

“Youcan, actually. She might end things with you, and that’s scary, but you have to look out foryoufirst, Care.”

Caroline leaned over the bed and looked down at Viv.

“Are you taking care of you? We’re talking about my dating life.”

Viv smiled and said, “I’m kind of over you.”

Caroline lifted an eyebrow at her.

“I’m thinking about maybe asking someone else out, actually.”

“You are?” Caroline asked with curiosity, forgetting all about her phone and the message she’d yet to receive from Enid.

“Yeah. I don’t know. I’m not exactly looking forward to the possible rejection. I just dealt with that from you.”

“Sorry,” Caroline said.

“It is what it is,” Viv replied with a shoulder shrug.

“Who are you going to ask out?”

“I said I wasthinkingabout it.”

“Well, who are youthinkingabout asking out, then?”

“I’d rather not say yet. I haven’t decided if I’ll do it. I don’t know if she likes me.”

“There are at least three out lesbians that I know of on this floor, one pansexual, two bisexuals, and a couple that I think might be questioning. I’ll figure it out.”

“Can you maybe not put too much thought into it? I don’t know if I’m going to do it yet, and I don’t need you snooping around and asking questions.”

“I wasn’t going to go all private detective,” Caroline said. “But I’m glad. I mean, I’m happy for you. You should be happy, Viv.”

“Iamhappy,” Viv replied.

“Yeah?”

“I think people who don’t get people like me assume we’re not happy, but I am. I’m perfectly content lying here and reading a book. I don’t always like my homework, but I love learning. I don’t need a million friends. I like having just one or two really good ones. I go to the campus things you think are lame because I think they’re fun. I’m meeting people like me, and it makes me feel less alone. I know what I want from my life, so I’m not spending time doing a lot of searching. There’s nothing wrong with searching, being social, or hating homework. I don’t judge people or assume they’re unhappy because they’re not like me, but I think when people see an introvert, they assume we’re missing out on the things they love, when we don’t love them to begin with.”

Caroline smiled as the blood rushed to her head from its position hanging upside down.

“You are a wise woman, Viv,” she said.

“Uh… Thanks,” Viv replied.

“How do I grow up like you?”

“We’re the same age.”

“No, you’re already twenty-one, so you’re in the future. Tell me where this wisdom comes from. I need some of it.”

“You have it. You just have a different kind,” Viv replied.

“No, I don’t.”

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